Diego Maradona Jr has strongly pushed back against Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni's assertion that Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against England is merely a football match, insisting the game carries deep historical and emotional weight.
Scaloni downplays rivalry
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni told reporters: 'The message is this is a football game. That is what I can say. We will be playing against a very tough opponent, they have an excellent coach, it is a football game and that is all.'
The two nations meet in Atlanta on Wednesday night with a place in the World Cup final on the line. The semi-final comes after 21 years without a competitive meeting, with the last clash being a friendly in 2005 which England won 3-2.
Maradona Jr disagrees
But Diego Maradona Jr, son of the legendary Diego Maradona, told Marca: 'My dad wouldn’t see it as a normal game, just another game. We can say a lot of things, but it wouldn’t be an ordinary game, nor will it be normal.'
He added: 'For all Argentines and Maradona fans, it will be a special occasion. It’s one that brings to mind everything about the Falklands and all our brothers who died there, and then what happened to my dad in ’86.'
Historical context
The rivalry extends far beyond football, rooted in the 1982 Falklands War which claimed the lives of 907 people. On the pitch, England beat Argentina en route to winning the 1966 World Cup, but Argentina gained revenge in 1986 when Maradona scored twice in a 2-1 win – once with his hand (the 'Hand of God') and once with an incredible solo goal.
Argentina also defeated England on penalties in a 1998 quarter-final, while England won a 2002 group stage match, sending Argentina home early.
Maradona Jr continued: 'My old man won a historic match, and since then, nothing has been normal against England. It’s never going to be a normal game, and this one in particular is going to be tough for our national team.'
Kane takes different view
England captain Harry Kane, however, aligns more with Scaloni's approach. He told ITV: 'I think it’s not something you want to focus too much on the surrounding the history, and yeah, that’s all part of it, and that’s what you guys will talk about. But from players’ point of view, it’s us against a great team who are smart, who are tactical, who know how to buy fouls, know how to slow the game down.'
The winner of England vs Argentina will face either France or Spain in Sunday's final.
